Radio apparatus



Sept. 13, 1932. s u 1,876,827

RADIO APPARATUS Filed Nov. 9. 1927 g Sheets-Sheet 1 gf'g. 1.

S a m fll ifiwzy,

Sept. 13, 1932. D U Y 1,876,827

RADIO APPARATUS .Filed Nov. 9. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 13, 1932 1,s76,s27 I PATENT? OFFICE DORSEY I1. ASBURY, OF BROOMES ISLAND, MARYLAND' mro APPARATUS Application filed November My invention relates to radio apparatus and has particular reference to improvements in operating means for the movable parts of tuning units, such, for example, as 5 variable plate condensers, my object, generally speaking, being to provide an operating means of simple, inexpensive construction for adjusting a plurality of tuning units collectively and individually for the Various 19 purposes set forth in my prior applications serially numbered 683,756; 689,338; 10,293, 72,514; 80,883; 89,443; 91,197; 95,138; 98,558; 108,174; 155,016; 166,516; reissue application 192,756, and in my Patents 1,598,415; 1,598,-

441 and 1,608,804.

More particularly it is my purpose to provide an operating means including a single operator in the form of a knob which is rotatable and laterally movable and which, by

20 rotation, is effective to adjust the units collectively and, solely by lateral movement, is effective to adjust one or more of the units individually.

It also is my purpose, in connection with an operator of the type mentioned, to provide means to indicate the correct adjustment ofeach of the units to establish a synchronized relation between them.

With the foregoing and other purposes in view, my invention consists-in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a plural tuni'ng unit radio apparatus showing my improved operating means for the units operatively connected with the latter; I

Fig. 2, a central transverse section through the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a front elevation, partly in section, .of the structure shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5, a rear elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will In the drawings, wherein like charactersappear.

9, 1927. Serial No. 232,039.

be observed that I have illustrated a radio apparatus embodying three tuning units a, b and c in the form of variable plate condensers which are duplicates of one another. and each of which includes essentially two sets of plates either set of which is adjustable with respect to the other set to change the tuning status of the unit. Specifically, each unit consists of a shaft 10 to which is adapted to be secured in any desired rotatably adj ust- 80 ed position with respect thereto, so as to rotate therewith a set of plates 12, while loose on said shaft so as to be rotatably adjustable with respect thereto is a U-shaped yoke or bracket 14 carrying a set of plates 16, the 65 two sets of plates 12, 16 as is apparent being arranged to be moved into different overlapping relations either by rotation of shaft 10 or by rotation of the yoke 14 with respect to said shaft.

The condensers a, 12,0 are arranged preferably, but not necessarily in triangular relation in a common horizontal plane and with their shafts 10 parallel to one another, that is, condensers a, 0 are arranged abreast while condenser -b is located behind condensers a, c with its shaft 10 midway between the shafts 10 of condensers a, 0, said condensers being supported in this relation by suitable supports 18 in which the respective shafts 10 are rotatably mounted. V

The shafts 10 of the respective condensers are connected together for collective rotation by any suitable or desired form of gearing, for example, as shown, by means of pulleys 20 fixed to said shafts and belts 22 trained over said pulleys.

An operator shaft 24 has a suitable universal joint connection 26 at its inner end with the shaft 10 of condenser 6 whereby rotation of said operator shaft is effective through the pulleys 20 and belts 22 to rotate the respective shafts 10 collectively and whereby said operator shaft is swingable laterally to rotatably adjust the yokes 14 of condensers a, c individually thereby to adjust the plates 16 of said condensers individually in a. manner which will presently Operator shaft124 extends through a opening in a panel board 28 located in front of the condensers a, b, 0 and is equipped at its outer end with a knob 30 whereby it may conveniently be rotated and moved laterally, while inwardly of said panel board said shaft has engaged therewith the slotted free end portions of a pair of lever arms 32, 34 the former of which is fixed to the yoke 14 of condenser c and the latter of which is pivoted as at 36 to a suitable fixed part of the apparatus and is connected to the yoke 14 of condenser a by a link 38, lever arm 32 being disposed substantially horizontally and lever arm 34 being disposed substantially vertically whereby vertical swinging movement of said operator shaft is effective to swing lever arm 32 to rotate the yoke 14 of con denser a without swinging lever arm 34 and whereby horizontal swinging movement of said operator shaft is effective to swing lever arm 34 to rotate the yoke of condenser a without swinging lever arm 32. d

On the shaft 10 of one of the condensers, condenser ain this instance, is fixed a dial 40 and arranged for movement across the face of this dial is the free end portion of a substantially horizontally disposed indicator arm 42 which is pivoted at its other end as at 44 to a suitable fixed part of the apparatus such as panel board 28, said arm being provided intermediately with a longitudinal slot 46 in which operates a pin 48 carried by an arm 50 which is pivoted at one end to the operator shaft 24 and at its other end is slidably, pivotally engaged with a friction device 52, the result being that horizontal swinging movement of the operator shaft is ineffective, because of the pin and slot con nection 46, 48 between the arm 50'and the indicator arm 42, to move said indicator arm, while vertical swinging movement of the operator shaft is effective to swing the free end portion of the indicator arm vertically across the face of said dial 40, the friction device 52 serving to hold the operator shaft and the indicatorarm in any vertically adjusted position to which they may be moved. 7

A second substantially horizontally disposed indicator arm 54 is pivotally connected at one end to the operator shaft 24 and also extends across the face of dial 40, being slidably pivotally engaged at its other end with a friction device 56 which operates through said arm to hold the operator shaft in any horizontally adjusted position to which it may be moved.

On the indicator arm 42 is a pointer 58 while on the indicator arm 54 is a pointer 60,

said pointers being adapted for cooperation with suitable indices on the dial 40 to indi cate the correct position of the knob 30 to establish a synchronized relation between the tuning units for any given wave length.

The yoke 14 of unit I) is not connected with the operator shaft 24 for rotation by the latter, but it has secured thereto an arm 62 equipped with a-knob 64 and a pin 66 adapted to be engaged in a recess 68 in one ofthe supports 18 to hold said yoke a ainst rotation. To adjust the yoke 14 an the plates 16 of condenser b, the arm 62 is flexed outward to disengage the pin 66 from the recess 68 and said arm then is swung either up or down to swing the yoke 14 and thus either increase or decrease the amount of overlap between the plates 12, 16.

In the use of my improved operating mechanism the dial 40 is loosened from shaft 10 of condenser a and the plates 12 of each unit are loosened from their respective shafts 10 and rotated to a mean position. Each yoke 14 with its plates 16 also is rotated to a mean position. Each unit then is tuned individually by rotatable adjustment of the plates 12 to a mean wave length. Knob 30 then is rotated and swung to a mean position and the plates 12 then are tightened to their respective shafts 10, so as thereafter to rotate with said shafts. Dial 40 next is rotated to a mean position on its shaft and tightened thereto. The positions of pointers 58, 60 then are marked by (lots on the face of dial 40. Knob 30 then is rotated to adjust the plates 12 collectively until another wave length is. encountered, when condenser b is adjusted by the knob 30 to exact tune with such wave when arm 62 is in its mean position, said arm affording means to determine by swinging it first in one direction and then in the other when the condenser b is in exact tune with any given wave length when said arm is in a mean position. Next, knob 30 is moved up and down to oscillate the plates 16 of unit 0 to bring this unit into exact tune with the same wave length. the position of pointer 58 when this has been accomplished being marked by a dot on the face of dial 40. Knob 30 then is moved back and forth in a horizontal plane to oscillate the plates 16 of unit a to bring this unit into exact tune with the same wave length and when this has been accomplished the position of pointer 60 is marked by a dot on the face of dial 40. In this way the units are tuned collectively and individually to each of a number of different wave lengths and the dots of each of the two series resulting from marking the different positions of the pointers 58. 60 preferably but not necessarily then are joined together as indicated by the lines 70, 72, respectively, so that whenever, subsequently, it is desired to tune all of the units accurately with any desired wave length all that is necessary to be done is to rotate the knob 30 to adjust the plates 12 of the units collectively until the desired wave length is encountered, which may be determined by bringing a given division mark 74 onthe marginal portion of the dial 40 into alinement with the outer edge of arm 42, then move the knob up or down as may be required to bring pointer 58 into registry with the line 70, which indicates the correct adjustment of plates 16 of unit a to synchronize this unit with unit I), and finally move the knob back or forth as may be required to bring pointer 60 into registry with the line 7 2, which indicates the correct adjustment of the plates 16 of unit a to synchronize this unit with units 1) and 0. Thus, once the lines 7 0,72 have been marked on the dial 40 it is a relatively simple matter, when the different rotatedpositions of the dial for tuning the units with diiferent wave lengths are known, to adjust the units collectively by rotation of the knob 30 to approximate tune with a selected wave length and then bring the units accurately into tune with that wave length by moving the knob either up or down and back or forth horizontally.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the acompanying drawings it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of my improved operating means will be clearly understood. I desire to point out, however, that various changes and desirable additions maybe made in and to the structure illustrated within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims;

' I claim:

1. In radio apparatus, a condenser embodying two sets of blades only, each set being individually adjustable, a single operator, and connections between the operator and each set of blades responsive respectively to different movements of the operator to individually adjust said sets.

2. In radio apparatus, a condenser embodying two sets of blades only, each set being individually, adjustable, a single operator, connections between the operator and each set of blades responsive respectively to different movements of the operator to individually adjust said sets, an indicating member responsive to individual adjustment of one of said sets, and a second indicating member responsive to individual adjustment of anotherof said sets.

3. In radio apparatus, a pair of adjustable condensers, an operator rotatable and laterally movable, means whereby rotation of said operator is effective to adjust said condensers collectively, and means independent of said first named means whereby lateral movement of said operator is effective to adjust one of said condensers individually.

4. In radio apparatus, a pair of condensers each including two individually adjustable elements, a single operator, means whereby said operator is movable to adjust one of the elements of each condenser collectively, and' means whereby said operator is movable to adjust the other element of each condenser individually.

5. In radio apparatus, a pair of condensers each including two individually adjustable elements, a single operator rotatable and laterally movable, means whereby rotation of said operator is effective to adjust one of the elements of each condenser collectively, and means whereby lateral movement of said operator is effective to adjust the other element of each condenser individually.

6. In radio apparatus, a tuningunit including two individually adjustable tuning elements, a single operator rotatable and laterally movable, and connections between said operator and said tuning elements whereby rotation of said operator is efi'ective to adjust one of said elements individually and whereby lateral movement of said operator is effective to adjust the other of said elements individually.

7. In radio apparatus, a plurality of condensers each including an adjustable element and at least one of which includes a second 7 movably adjustable sections and each of the remainder at least one movably adjustable section, each of said sections being formed of a plurality of blades adapted to interdigitate I with'the blades of the other section of the condenser of which it forms a part, an operating knob connected with movably adjustable sections of all the condensers to collectively vary the extent of interdigitation between the blades of all related sections, and means operable by said knob to movably adjust the other section of the condenser having two movably adjustable sections to vary the extent of-interdigitation between the blades of the sections of the last named condenser independently of the adjustment of a sect on forming a part of any other condenser.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my 

